Dr. Prithika Chary is the First and only lady in India to be qualified and practicing as both Neurophysician and Neurosurgeon. 

She completed medical school at the Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai in 1971 and then went on to qualify for the MD, DM, Ph.D and MCh from the Government Madras Medical College, Chennai. 

She worked as Assistant Professor in Madras Medical College from 1974 to 1982 . After that joined Apollo Hospitals, Chennai as the first neurologist at their inception in 1983 and was with them till 2012. Worked for one year as HOD Neurology at Global Hospital in 2012. After that joined Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet, Chennai as their first neurologist and developed the department of neurology. As a service worked in Voluntary Health Services Hospital as well from 2018 to date. Leaving VHS by 1st August 2023.

She is practicing medicine from 1974, neurology from 1978 and neurosurgery as well from 1990 in the city of Chennai.

Education

• MBBS – 1971 – Govt Kilpauk Medical College, Madras
• MD (Internal Medicine) – 1974 – Govt. Madras Medical College, Madras
• DM (Neurology) – 1978 – Govt. Madras Medical College, Madras
• Ph. D (Neurology) – 1981 – University of Madras, Madras
• MNAMS (Neurology) – 1989 Conferred by National Board of Examinations, New Delhi
• MCh (Neuro Surgery) – 1990 – Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai.

AWARDS & HONOURS

• 1982- Kshanika Oration Award Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) national award for outstanding Woman scientist of the year below age of 35.
• 1982 – Invited author in specialised textbooks in USA & India as below Aphasia in a multilingual society – a preliminary study Chapter in the book. Language processing in bilinguals: Psycholinguistic & Neuropsychological perspectivesa Ed. J.Vaid, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, published in 1986.
• 1993 – L.V.Ramiah award for being the first & only lady in India to be both Neurophysician & Neurosurgeon & for contributions in the field of Medicine.
• 1998 – Stree Ratnaa award for constructive contribution to the nation in the field of Neurosciences by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Research & Publication

• PhD in Aphasiology – easy bedside testing of speech disorders in neurological patients and multilingual aphasia and recovery patterns.

1. Neurological and Neurosurgical disorders
2. Brain disorders ( Stroke, Parkinsonism, Dementia, Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology, Epilepsy )
3. Epilepsy management including surgical management of epilepsy.